JAKARTA, 2 September 2026 – H.E. Marina Rafti presented her Letter of Credence to the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat today, marking the official assumption of her role as the Ambassador of the EU to ASEAN.

Secretary-General Dr. Kao congratulated Ambassador Raftion her appointment and reaffirmed the ASEAN Secretariat’s readiness to work closely with her and the Mission of the EU to ASEAN to further strengthen the ASEAN-EU partnership ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2027. He noted that, in the past five decades, ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations have developed into a broad partnership spanning multiple sectors and built on mutual trust, and emphasised the importance of sustaining this momentum by strengthening cooperation in both existing and emerging areas. Secretary-General Dr. Kao also encouraged Ambassador Rafti to engage with the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN and the wider diplomatic community in Jakarta, as well as to engage with the ASEAN centres of excellence based in the ASEAN Member States.

Ambassador Rafti reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to deepening its partnership with ASEAN and reiterated the EU’s desire to upgrade its relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Arriving at a pivotal time, she welcomed the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations next year as an opportunity to inject new impetus and momentum into the Strategic Partnership. She looked forward to working with the ASEAN Secretariat and ASEAN Member States to strengthen peace, prosperity and, importantly, multilateralism and the rules-based international order, with a focus on maritime security, trade and investment, resilient supply chains, and accelerating cooperation on green and digital transitions.

The EU appointed its first Ambassador to ASEAN and established the Mission of the EU to ASEAN in 2016. Ambassador Rafti succeeds Ambassador Sujiro Seam, who completed his appointment on 31 August 2026.